DIY: Create Your Own Custom Headboard

After tackling our living room, kitchen, dining room, master bedroom and sewing/craft room, my son Zack was feeling a little left out. “When are we going to do a craft for me, Mama?” he asked.

Who could resist that question?

I’ve been wanting to work on Zack’s room for a while. It’s very boring with the highly-functional-but-blah blonde furniture and builder’s beige walls.

Zack’s bedroom is going to undergo a big change next week while he is vacationing with his grandparents. I can’t wait to surprise him with his new digs when he returns! Until then, he’ll have to settle for a smaller change that makes a huge statement.

How to Create Your Own Custom Themed Headboard

1. I wanted to make a vintage Volkswagen Beetle themed headboard for Zack’s bed, so I found an image online that had the look I was after. Why a Beetle and not one of the cars that’s actually on his bedding? I don’t know. I just wanted to.

On the computer, my husband enlarged it to the size I wanted (the widest part of the car slightly larger than the width of Zack’s existing headboard), but it probably would have been easier to rent an overhead projector from the library and enlarge it that way. It printed out over several (like 30!) pages, so I taped them all together so that I would have one very large image.

2. I cut out the image and traced it onto a 4×4 sheet of MDF. We chose MDF because it’s easy to cut and and has a very smooth finish. We had to buy a 4×8 sheet (for around $20 at Home Depot), but they cut it ifor us so that we could get it home easily.

Yes, Zack is already excited about his car, although at this point he had no clue about what was going on.

3. Using the jigsaw, we cut out the outline so we would have a perfect car shape. Visit my guest post over at the Blah Blah Blahger to learn all about how to use a jigsaw. It’s so easy!

After cutting out the shape, my husband used his router to slightly round the edges of the car so that there wouldn’t be any sharp corners. This step is completely unnecessary, although it did give it a nice finished look. I think he just wanted an excuse to use his router.

4. Tom created a “slipcover” of sorts so that the new headboard would just fit on top of the existing headboard. He took the measurements of the boring headboard and basically made a slightly larger little box out of MDF and screwed it to the back of the car. This will allow us to add the new headboard without damaging the old headboard.

If you don’t already have a headboard, you can just screw the new headboard to your wall once it is finished.

5. Next, I primed the car and drew in the details, such as the headlights, bumper, windshield, etc. I was originally going to get very detailed with the, um, details, but when I realied how long that was going to take, I decided to take it simple. I used my super fantastic newspaper tracing trick and it took no time at all.

6. Using the basic acrylic paint that sells for under a dollar a bottle at the craft store, I painted the car with foam brushes and small bristled artist brushes. I was able to do the entire thing with four bottles of paint – bright blue, white, black, and red. I mixed the colors in little disposable plastic bowls to form the different shades I wanted to use.

I also had the most adorable dog in the world assist me. Look how mistreated he is. He just wanted to play ball, but mean ‘ole Mama was busy painting. Everyone say ‘Hi’ to Duke!

When painting, I started with the lightest color and worked out to the darkest color. That way, I wasn’t so worried about having one color bleed through another if they overlapped a bit (I am so bad at painting inside the lines). I did two coats of each color before I moved on to the next color.

The double coat fully covered the pencil markings left over from tracing out the detailing.

7. The next part is where I got REALLY nervous. I outlined each of the details I painted with a black permanent marker, which was pretty simple. But then, I had to freehand all of the other details, such as the lines on the hood. I drew them with a pencil before I used the marker, and I learned that I could use a white eraser to erase any stray pencil lines without messing up the paint. Score!

8. I touched up the paint on the areas where the black marker outline didn’t cover up stray paint marks, added some highlighting to the headlights, and again used my newspaper tracing method to add Zack’s name to the license plate.

9. Next, I used wipe-on poly to protect the car from my three-year-old. I was worried the marker would smear when I wiped the poly on it, so I tested it on the back. Yep, I was right. So, I sprayed a clear acrylic sealer I had on hand and let it dry first before I used the poly. It made all the difference. I used two coats of poly and let it dry for about 36 hours before we brought it inside.

10. Now, all that was left to do was to just slide it on Zack’s existing headboard!

Remember the before?

Well, here’s the after!

I love that you can’t see his license plate until we take off the pillows and he climbs into bed. He always says, “Look, Mom! It’s my Z-A-C-K!”

What do you think? Do you think your little one would like a bed like this? I think mine does.

Brainstorm about all of the adorable shapes you could use to make your own custom headboard – butterfly, princess tiara, soccer ball, baseball cap…the ideas are endless. This is such a simple project, but it creates so much fun in a little one’s room.

Do you think you’ll try this at home?

I’ve added this post to Kimba’s DIY Day over at A Soft Place to Land. Head on over to her site to see some wonderful DIY projects!

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Jack and Duke). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.

Comments

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!! I love how you left in all the little details on the car. 🙂 I laughed about your husband and the router, b/c my hubby is the same way! He loves an excuse to use his tools. That is a wonderful head board, and I bet it's even more special b/c you made it instead of spending $$$ at a store. 🙂

Lindsay, that is adorable. My "little guy" is now 28 y/o and bet he wouldn't appreciate it nearly as much as Zack does. I had an idea too…if I would/could/should make one, I'd use those stick-on touch lights ( http://bit.ly/k85dY) to make the headlights really light up. Oh, I wanna make one :-). Love this idea and you did a great job.

Lindsay, you are crazy creative ! I am so smitten with your headboard….especially since I have a three year old boy OBSESSED with anything with wheels. Vrooooom Vroooom. I think this would be a fabulous art statement on a boy's wall, even if it wasn't such a handy headboard. You're brilliant !

Thanks for your input. Do you think the painted cabinets would be OK with the rest of the trim stained? All of my woodwork is stained all over my house. The room adjoining is guacamole green, very bright, but I love it. The dining room is ajou pear( sherwin williams)I am planning on a dark countertop that is laminate with a granite look. My daughter has them in her house with beveled edges, and she has had several people mistake it for granite when they first saw it. That is what I would like. I may go with a buttery color, and definitely changing the hinges and hardware. This project will probably be slow go, but am looking forward to some changes. I would love any other suggestions that you have. You have some amazing projects and I am inspired by all of your creativity. I am trying to get a little back over here. Thanks for all your help. Jackie

OK – that totally rocks. I am a little curious about one thing, though. How did your hubby blow up the car on the computer and get it to print out on 30 different sheets perfectly? That's the part that would keep me from trying it.

HO. LEE. COW. you have really outdone yourself here, or at least outdone me! lol. i am so impressed with not only your skill but your patience in completing all those steps to get your end result! what a cutie zack is, too!

I am starting a NEW Mr. Linky party. It will begin on Aug 10th so everyone will have a week and a half to think about their first post. I have a poll up for votes on which button should be the new button. The "party" is called The Knock Off Knock Out-where THRIFTY meets creative sensation. Go over and learn more about the new weekly event and I would appreciate if you would cast your vote and HELP pick the new button design and its the last week for the July GIVE-A-Way, if you would like to be a part of that event..Cheri

Popped over from Kimba's. You totally rock! That is a cool headboard and I can tell by your son's face he loves it too! Thanks for sharing how you made it. My kids are a lot older, but this will be a great idea to use when I have grandkids someday.

This is so cute! I've got to ask: Does your husband roll his eyes at your projects, or is he used to it by now? Because mine used to roll his eyes…now he just gives a little smile, because he knows there's no stopping me. Once I get an idea into my head…here we go!!

That is soooo cute! Great job. You're awesome. Someday I want to utilize power tools in my crafting! I'm sure my husband would be stoked. My 3 year-old would LOVE a headboard like that (as would my 18 month-old, come to think of it). Thanks for sharing your how-to wisdom!

I absolutely LOVE the headboard! I have been talking to my husband for weeks about doing something like this for our 2 year old. I saw you post on Design Dazzle Friday and was like OMG this is it!! Thanks for the breakdown of how you did this, makes it easier than just trying to do it in my head!

WOW what a cute headboard! Ok now I am changing my mind for my son's big boy bed! no plastic toddler bed here… "honey go get your saw" I have a project 🙂 By the way,where did you get the bedding for his bed? ThanksKari

About Makely

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Jack and Duke). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.